Wow. Can you believe it’s been two whole months since I’ve set pen to paper and shared with you Some Thoughts on My Mind? That’s a long time with no Thoughts on My Mind, that’s for sure! I wish I could say that I’ve been busy driving across the country in my RV or building model airplanes, but the truth is, things haven’t been going so well.
My last post was about seeing Batman Begins (56 times! Top THAT!), and that movie has been my only escape. The pranks in the office only got worse (last month Larry Bowa set my car on fire with me in it!), and morale here in Ravvy Central was been low and getting lower.
A couple of weeks ago I hit rock bottom. We were somewhere out West (I can’t even remember where) doing the “50 States in 50 Days” promotion (Which is AWESOME! America ROCKS!), and I was driving my Honda Civic Hybrid down some highway and found my foot getting heavier on the gas pedal. Before I knew it, I was doing 55 and then 60 miles an hour, the landscape whizzing by the windows. I was feeling so low that I was contemplating crashing the car, but then, just when I was about to yank the wheel, this song came on the radio that caught my ear.
The song was inspirational, proud and beautiful. I slowed down to concentrate on the lyrics, and suddenly I felt my whole body tingle. Someone somewhere wanted me to hear this song. It spoke to me in a way that nothing had since the 43rd time I saw Gremlins II. The song was Des’ree’s “You Gotta Be,” and in honor of Bill Simmons’ fantastic quote columns (Is that guy great or what? How does he keep it so fresh?), I’m going to share Some Positive Thoughts on My Mind.
1. “Listen as your day unfolds
Challenge what the future holds
Try and keep your head up to the sky
Lovers, they may cause you tears”
My favorite part of the song gets dedicated to my wife and kids, who have been incredibly supportive. Even when I came home with a clown nose stapled to my face and a prosthetic arm sewn into my neck, they never flinched. On one tough day, Dan Patrick filled my office/supply closet with at least 20 cobras. By the time I got home (ESPN refused to call me an ambulance because it would up their insurance premiums, a concern I totally understand — those HMOs are criminal!) I was in a state of shock, but my family dutifully set about sucking the venom out of all 476 snake bites. That’s what loyalty is. Honey, you’re the best!
2. “Go ahead release your fears
Stand up and be counted
Don’t be ashamed to cry”
These lyrics go to Peter Gammons, the nicest guy at ESPN and a true legend as a writer. When he went into the Hall of Fame two weeks ago, I wept like it was the end of Beaches. Peter is not only one of the greatest writers, but he’s also responsible for turning me onto so much hip music like Buffalo Tom and Big Head Todd and the Monsters. Thanks to Peter’s mix CDs, I’ve gotten to be a “pretty cool cat”!
3. “You gotta be
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day”
The chorus goes out to my fan club, the Ravvenators. A few years ago this kid named Shawn Johnston sent me an email that really made my day. Here it is:
Dear Karl U r totally my fave person on BBTN me & my buds can’t wait 2 here wut yule say and where everynite Ur an inspirashun and sumday I want to meet you also my pet hermit crab is named Ravvy and he thinks ur purty cool too LOL I’m ur #1 Fan do u have a fanclub Shawn
It was the sort of letter that makes you sit back and reflect on the tremendous impact you can have on young people’s lives, and a few days later, me, Shawn and four of his friends met up at a Chuck E. Cheese and knocked back a couple of sodas, talked about baseball and played Whack-A-Mole for three hours straight. That day we founded the Ravvenator Fan Club, and they’ve been a big part of my life ever since. You guys rock!
4. “Herald what your mother said
Readin’ the books your father read
Try to solve the puzzles in your own sweet time
Some may have more cash than you
Others take a different view”
My favorite part of the song goes out to Joe Morgan. He and I had it out on BBTN the other day, and I just want to say no hard feelings. He’s the best analyst around, and a really nice dude. I was just feeling kind of pumped because the movie Dick was on HBO that morning and I got a little Woodstein and Bernwood on him! I hope you didn’t take offense, Joe. I realize now that BBTN isn’t the place for journalism of any kind. It won’t happen again.
5. “My oh my heh, hey”
Rock & roll will never die!
6. “You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day”
This goes out to the whole crew at Baseball Tonight. You guys really look out for us. I can’t thank Kenny, our camera guy, enough for warning me about the wolverine that Buster Olney had hidden under my side of the desk. It’s the little things like that that make doing television so worth it.
7. “Don’t ask no questions, it goes on without you
Leaving you behind if you can’t stand the pace
The world keeps on spinning
You can’t stop it, if you try to
This time it’s danger staring you in the face
Oh oh oh Remember
Listen as your day unfolds
Challenge what the future holds
Try and keep your head up to the sky
Lovers, they may cause you tears
Go ahead release your fears”
The “bridge,” as Peter calls it, goes out to baseball, the greatest game ever invented. Before BBTN, I was always more of a basketball guy (This might surprise you but I used to be able to dunk! This white man CAN jump!), but the pace of baseball is just irresistible. There are so many games every single day, and you never know what’s going to happen! Who would’ve guessed that the White Sox would be so good? Or that the A’s would come back? Or that the Yankees would be the best team in baseball yet again? Baseball’s a roller coaster, and it’s the one ride that doesn’t make me pee my pants! Bud Selig deserves all the credit in the world.
8. “My oh my heh, hey”
Rock & roll will never die!
9. “You gotta be
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day”
The close of the song, which always makes me cry, goes out to you, the readers of Yard Work. The tens of you who read this every single day make it all worthwhile, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to share Some Positive Thoughts on My Mind. I can’t wait to do it again. Next week: a song by this “underground” band Peter played for me called R.E.M. The song is “Shiny Happy People,” and it’s a real headbanger!